Your definition of talent must mean any good player that isn’t at UK, Any top 25 player that picks us can’t be talented when people like you want to agenda against the head coach
The current roster is already better than last year
- Thread starter Swifterz
- Start date
More than one way to skin a cat, as they say.
If we get Folgueiras, he plays the Williams role as a facilitator from the high post and Garrison plays the Carr role. Folgueiras is a good passer and decision maker. That’s on offense.
Folgueiras defends the 4 spot with Garrison defending the 5 on defense.
If we add Pierre, Yates, and Alvaro then I could see us being more talented overall. The Freshman and improvement of Oweh and Chandler should be enough. We need those 3 or better to do it though IMO.
Isn’t that the way it was ran at BYU? Why change it now? It’s like every coach hired here changes their style that made them appealing to begin with
No. He definitely wants the 5 to do it. Otherwise, backup center Garrison wouldn't have had the ball in his hands so much.
What the hell are you talking about? I gave my constructive criticism of the roster AS OF NOW. I legit said in my response I trust Pope to fill it out? Are you an idiot?
So right now, first priority is securing Folgueiras as our 4.
Next is getting Yates or Pierre as our shooting wing.
That puts us at 12, and rumor has it that might be it, at least when it comes to contributors for this year. Maybe we grab a couple of developmental pieces?
PG Lowe/Lewis/Perry
SG Yates(or Pierre)/Johnson
SF Oweh/Chandler
PF Folgueiras/Williams/Noah
C Garrison/Moreno
How do we feel about that roster?
Lots of moving pieces. Chandler can move into the 1 or 2 spots some. Williams and Noah are natural 3’s that probably play a lot at 4, in that scenario. BG probably plays some at the 4 as well, especially if Moreno proves to be really good.
I personally want to add another 4/5, but where does that leave Williams and Noah? That creates a logjam at the 3.
This will be interesting to watch.
Next is getting Yates or Pierre as our shooting wing.
That puts us at 12, and rumor has it that might be it, at least when it comes to contributors for this year. Maybe we grab a couple of developmental pieces?
PG Lowe/Lewis/Perry
SG Yates(or Pierre)/Johnson
SF Oweh/Chandler
PF Folgueiras/Williams/Noah
C Garrison/Moreno
How do we feel about that roster?
Lots of moving pieces. Chandler can move into the 1 or 2 spots some. Williams and Noah are natural 3’s that probably play a lot at 4, in that scenario. BG probably plays some at the 4 as well, especially if Moreno proves to be really good.
I personally want to add another 4/5, but where does that leave Williams and Noah? That creates a logjam at the 3.
This will be interesting to watch.
I don’t know. I never watched BYU.
He wasn’t going thru the 5 until Kerr, Butler and Robinson all were hurt.
I think if we get Yates and Folgueiras, I'm going to feel really good.
I'm mentally not counting on the freshmen. If they're regular contributors, even better.
Lowe: His sophomore offensive numbers are better than Butler's. He averaged more steals than Butler. Butler obviously had the shoulder injury. Lowe was in a weaker conference and has terrible percentages. But Butler had worse percentages as a sophomore in a worse conference too. He was really inefficient, but he also didn't have a ton of talent around him. I think there's a world in where he's very good for us. If he's not just ELITE, Lewis will be on his heels.
Yates: Dude is a flame thrower. Perfect Brea replacement. He has 3 years of eligibility left. Staff needs to pull out all the stops and get it done.
Oweh: Should be even better as a Senior.
Folgueiras: Upgrade over Carr. Better shooting, passing, athleticism, rebounding, defense. He's a super talented big and raises our ceilng a lot.
Garrison: Junior Garrison should be better than Sophomore Garrison. Moreno will be on his heels if he doesn't take the b ig leap.
Bench wise:
Lewis should be a much better backup PG than we had this year.
Jasper should be a really nice backup SG
Kam Williams can be a very nice swiss army knife. He can play anywhere from 2-4.
Chandler can play 1-3.
Noah can play 3, maybe small ball 4.
MM should be a competent backup with upside.
Sorry but if Garrison is our starting center we are screwed. It was usually a big drop off when Williams went out and Garrison came in. And Williams wasn’t what we needed either. I hope Garrison improves enough to be a great sub off the bench next year. Nut Pope better find a good 5 as an upgrade.
While I like your optimism!
No it's not!!
Let's break it down position by position:
C: Williams & Garrison / Garrison & Moreno
Garrison should improve, we'll assume he will. But he was awful at rebounding, and unless playing OKL didn't protect the rim/paint. Moreno while may have a high ceiling is just a FR. This year > next year.
PF: Carr & Almonor & Noah / Williams & Noah
Williams I think will be more of a SF, but right now Noah is the only other possible PF we have. I like what Williams will bring, but he's not Carr. I think Noah could match what Almonor was, potentially. Hopefully we add Folgueiras or someone similar, at which time maybe next year will be better. But right now, this year > next year.
SF+SG: Robinson & Oweh & Brea & Chandler / Oweh & Jasper & Chandler
Sure the returnees should all improve, at least a little. But we had 3 legit players last year, next year unless Chandler has a big step forward we'll only have 2 legit players. This year > next year.
PG: Butler & Kriisa & Perry / Lowe & Lewis
I think Perry is more of a SG, but he had to play PG for us this year, so I have him listed here. Butler was defensive POY in his mid-major conference, and played like one (when he played). He also played in a National Title game, and showed really good leadership. He also really raised his ability to score and even knock down shots. Lowe just isn't that. Could he become it, I suppose, but not likely. Now due to Kriisa's injury, Lewis has a decent chance to out-play KK & Perry. So even though I give the edge to last year, I'm willing to call this one EVEN.
Now after we add another top scoring Wing (SG or SF) and a top PF and probably a 2nd PF or a C, then I think we certainly could be better next year. But until we have names, there is no way to know.
Listing Noah and Perry while also saying the roster is better makes anything else you post questionable.
We need to get a strong portal player or Ament. Then, I can say our roster is better.
I think it'll be nice, and something I don't see mentioned often, to have 5 guys with a year in the system already on board (front and back court too) instead of just 1 guy.
Should help for pre-season to get going quicker and beginning of season
Should help for pre-season to get going quicker and beginning of season
In terms of “physicality” we are absolutely ahead right now and that’s a great thing.
In terms of basketball dynamics, we are well behind right now and to say we are ahead is to be ignorant of how at least Amari’s, and Butler’s very unique skill packages led directly to that second-ranked offense we had most of the year. I’d rather not learn to fully appreciate their loss the hard way.
The closest thing to another Amari out there, as far as concerns our offense, is an upgrade but he’ll be wearing yellow or playing in the league. We have made a good go at replacing Robinson by committee and maybe we can find a way to do that with Amari too.
There are guys out there who are closer to being able replace Butler in a single player. Some of them not in the portal. (Yet?)
If we don’t get one of them or someone else similar….. Butler is not a guy I think you could replace by committee exactly. But unlike with Amari, there are other ways to succeed with Pope’s offense without having anyone playing exactly Butler’s role. We do still need to replace his value, though, and we haven’t done that. Although we have people who will be in year one or year two next year, who could probably together or maybe even singly replace Butler’s value in year two or year three.
In terms of basketball dynamics, we are well behind right now and to say we are ahead is to be ignorant of how at least Amari’s, and Butler’s very unique skill packages led directly to that second-ranked offense we had most of the year. I’d rather not learn to fully appreciate their loss the hard way.
The closest thing to another Amari out there, as far as concerns our offense, is an upgrade but he’ll be wearing yellow or playing in the league. We have made a good go at replacing Robinson by committee and maybe we can find a way to do that with Amari too.
There are guys out there who are closer to being able replace Butler in a single player. Some of them not in the portal. (Yet?)
If we don’t get one of them or someone else similar….. Butler is not a guy I think you could replace by committee exactly. But unlike with Amari, there are other ways to succeed with Pope’s offense without having anyone playing exactly Butler’s role. We do still need to replace his value, though, and we haven’t done that. Although we have people who will be in year one or year two next year, who could probably together or maybe even singly replace Butler’s value in year two or year three.
People already in panic mode are ridiculous. We have two commits and are already up to 10th in the 24/7 portal rankings. There are only a few high majors with more than one commit. People get way too hung up on certain players when they enter when there are still a ton of really good or great players who are or will be available. Just let it all play out folks.
Before Jax got hurt at the end of SEC play he was starting to average 18ppg on almost 50% from 3. He was a stud. I wouldn't say all around he was better than Oweh, but offensively I'd have to give it to him.
Last years team beat 8 top 15 teams and made the sweet 16.
I really can't make a judgement until we see this team play at least the ooc and some of sec play.
I really can't make a judgement until we see this team play at least the ooc and some of sec play.
Just making up crap to sale to fans....no way this is a better team than last year so far.
1. PG.....Butler is eons better than Lowe. Now Acaden Lewis as back up is better than any PG we had.
2. SG....Brea/Robinson/Oweh vs. Oweh/Chandler/Jasper.....I'm leaning to Brea/Robinson/Oweh
3. SF...Oweh/Chandler/Noah vs. Kam Williams/Oweh/Chandler.....solid edge to Kam/Oweh/Chandler
4. PF....We currently have no PF....so you can't give edge to next year until there is a PF on roster
5. C...Amari/Garrison vs. Garrison/Moreno....this isn't even close....Amari is eons better than Garrison...I like Moreno but he isn't Amari in 2026.
If Pope is running out this crap at PG and C........hes' going to be fully on hot seat in year 3 after this season. This is a joke of a roster so far.
1. PG.....Butler is eons better than Lowe. Now Acaden Lewis as back up is better than any PG we had.
2. SG....Brea/Robinson/Oweh vs. Oweh/Chandler/Jasper.....I'm leaning to Brea/Robinson/Oweh
3. SF...Oweh/Chandler/Noah vs. Kam Williams/Oweh/Chandler.....solid edge to Kam/Oweh/Chandler
4. PF....We currently have no PF....so you can't give edge to next year until there is a PF on roster
5. C...Amari/Garrison vs. Garrison/Moreno....this isn't even close....Amari is eons better than Garrison...I like Moreno but he isn't Amari in 2026.
If Pope is running out this crap at PG and C........hes' going to be fully on hot seat in year 3 after this season. This is a joke of a roster so far.
The hardest thing to replace is the experience.
We lose six fifth year Seniors and one regular Senior.
That’s tough.
Fortunately, Auburn, Bama, Tenn, UF, etc. are also replacing a ton of experience.
Everyone in the SEC will be down a bit because everyone is losing their fifth year COVID Seniors and their regular Seniors.
So we will definitely have less experience, but so will most everyone else.
It’s not really fair to compare the two rosters, because the new roster might not look as good, but the competition is different as well. We will have Juniors and Sophomores but they will be going up against teams also filled with Juniors and Sophomores, not teams full of fourth and fifth year Seniors.
It’s really comparing apples and oranges because what we saw in college basketball this year with all the fifth year Seniors,will never be seen again (unless they change the rules).
We lose six fifth year Seniors and one regular Senior.
That’s tough.
Fortunately, Auburn, Bama, Tenn, UF, etc. are also replacing a ton of experience.
Everyone in the SEC will be down a bit because everyone is losing their fifth year COVID Seniors and their regular Seniors.
So we will definitely have less experience, but so will most everyone else.
It’s not really fair to compare the two rosters, because the new roster might not look as good, but the competition is different as well. We will have Juniors and Sophomores but they will be going up against teams also filled with Juniors and Sophomores, not teams full of fourth and fifth year Seniors.
It’s really comparing apples and oranges because what we saw in college basketball this year with all the fifth year Seniors,will never be seen again (unless they change the rules).
Yeah I meant overall. Oweh was definitely our best player
I have no idea about the players if they are better or not. Only time will tell that. The one big addition that I wanted to see but am afraid we want is the addition of a defensive specialist to the staff. We have got to get someone who can teach defensive rotations and weakside help defense. Pope is really good on the offensive end, but from what I've seen of BYU before and this year at UK he isn't as strong teaching defense.
I can see that in offense but you lost me when you said that the Spaniard will defend the 4 spot. Everybody knows that by definition , the Spaniards only go in offense and then they are in siesta when it comes to play defense.
Agree. Lot of these posters have him as a bench guy. He is NOT coming off the bench and WILL play the wing.
I think Pope is going to bring in 2 more players in the 6'8 to 6'10 range. Here is where the roster sits now, and I agree this is a more athletic roster than 24/25. There is depth at guard with Chandler and possibly even Johnson having ability to play point in a pinch. If Pope wanted to go small any of the 1's could play the 2 and the 2's could play the 3, and Williams could play the 4. There is depth needed to play the 4. Two solid players that can compete for starting position and to play the 5 in a pinch.
1 - Lowe / Lewis / Perry
2 - Oweh / Chandler / Johnson
3 - Williams / Noah
4 - ? / ?
5 Garrison / Moreno
1 - Lowe / Lewis / Perry
2 - Oweh / Chandler / Johnson
3 - Williams / Noah
4 - ? / ?
5 Garrison / Moreno
